Tray construction

ABSTRACT

A multi-sided tray of molded construction is provided having downwardly extending pockets arranged in spaced parallel rows, and upwardly projecting posts arranged in spaced parallel rows disposed in alternate relation with the rows of pockets. At the corners of the tray are disposed corner pockets which are partially delimited by elongated, upwardly projecting, hollow protuberances. The height of each protuberance is less than the height of said posts. Each protuberance has one end thereof terminating at a post disposed adjacent the corner pocket.

United States Patent Boyd et al.

[s41 TRAY CONSTRUCTION [72] Inventors: James W. Boyd, Crown Point, lnd.; Clifford H. Bessett, South Holland,

Ill.

[73] Assignee: Packaging Corporation of America,

Evanston, Ill. v

[22] Filed: Oct. 20, 1970 21 Appl. No: 82,407

[52] U.S.Cl..... ..2l7/26.S [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 81/00 [58] Field of Search ..2l7/26.5; 229/25, 29 M; 1 D9/l87, 188, 190

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,618 12/1965 I Vigue ..2l7/26.5

[451 Oct. 31, 1972 3,120,901 2/1964 Boyd ..2l7/26.5

Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney-Pendleton, Neuman, Williams & Anderson [57] ABSTRACT A multi-sided tray of molded construction is provided having downwardly-extending pockets arranged in spaced parallel rows, and upwardly projecting posts arranged in spaced parallel rows disposed in alternate relation with the rows of pockets. At the corners of the tray are disposed corner pockets which are partially delimited by elongated, upwardly projecting,

j hollow protuberances. The height of each protuberance is less than the height of said posts. Each protuberance has one end thereof terminating at a post disposed adjacent the corner pocket.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 TRAY CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the manufacture of molded trays for fragile articles, particularly where such trays are of molded pulp construction, substantial distortion or warping of the trays during manufacture of the trays frequently occurs while passing through the dryer thereby impairing the utility of the trays. Such distortion is oftentimes most pronounced in the vicinityof the comers of the tray.

The perils resulting from such distortion are that (a) the articles accommodated in the corner pockets of the tray are in an unstable state and are highly susceptible to falling out of the pockets during normal handling of the loaded tray; (b) the trays, when arranged in nested rather than the tray posts, bear the weight of the loaded trays stacked thereabove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a molded tray which has superior load-bearing characteristics, is capable of withstanding extreme .temperature and humidity variations without serious distortion, and may be readily denested when desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a molded tray having high walled pockets for accommodating fragile articles and thereby materially reducing breakage of the accommodated articles.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a multi-sided molded tray is provided having downwardly extending pockets for accommodating fragile articles. The pockets are arranged in spaced parallel rows. Arranged in alternate relation with the rows of pockets are rows of upwardly projecting hollow posts. Certain of the pockets are disposed adjacent the corners of the tray. Partially delimiting each comer pocket .is an elongated upwardly projecting hollow protuberance. Each protuberance has an inner surface, which is an extension of the wall of the adjacent corner pocket, and an outer surface which terminates at an outwardly projecting peripheral flange. The height of each protuberance is less than the height of the posts. Extending upwardly from the peripheral flange and outwardly from the outer surface of each protuberance is an elongated denesting projection.

DESCRIPTION For a more complete understanding of the invention reference should be made to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of one form of the improved tray construction.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, top plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the tray of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary right side elevational view of the tray of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the improved tray 10 is shown. The illustrated tray is adapted to accommodate 2% dozen eggs and is suitable for bulk packing with other like loaded trays in a conventional thirty dozen capacity egg case.

The tray 10 may be molded from paper pulp, foam plastic or various other types of materials. The tray is generally of a rectangular or square peripheral configuration and includes a plurality of upwardly projecting hollow posts 11 which are arranged in a plurality of spaced parallel rows. The outermost rows are formed of half posts 12.

In addition to the rows of posts, there are provided a plurality of spaced parallel rows of downwardly extending pockets or cells 13. The rows of pockets are arranged in alternate relation with respect to the rows of posts. The outermost rows of pockets, which are at right anglesto the rows of half posts, are formed of half pockets 14. The pockets 13 are shaped so as to readily accommodate fragile articles, such as eggs or the like, which are disposed upright on end.

Interconnecting the lower portions of adjacent posts 11 of a row and corresponding posts of adjacent rows are upwardly extending ribs 15. The ribs are preferably formed of solid'molded material and serve dual functions: (a) they add overall stiffness to the tray, and (b) they facilitate denesting of the individual trays when they are disposed in nested relation.

In the rows of half posts 12, as shown in FIG. 1, the first and second half posts from opposite ends of the rows are not interconnected by ribs 15; thus, voids are formed therebetween, which are adapted to accommodate the pusher fingers, not shown, customarily found on automatic denesting machines. Such machines are in common use in commercial egg packing plants.

Adjacent each comer pocket 13a, there is provided an elongated, upwardly projecting hollow protuberance 16. The height of each protuberance is less than the height of either the posts 1 l or half posts 12.

One end 16a of each protuberance 16 is connected to the tapered wall 11a of an adjacent post 1 1, which is disposed next to the corner pocket 13a. Each protuberance 16 has an inner surface 16b which is shaped so as to form an extension of a part of the wall of the corner pocket.

The opposite end of each protuberance terminates short of the adjacent endmost half post 12a of the row of half posts. An elongated rib 17, however, interconnects the end 160 and the adjacent half post 12a. The rib 17 is preferably of solid molded material and functions in substantially the same manner as the ribs 15, which interconnect certain of the half posts 12 in innerand outer surfaces, and the connection between the post 11 and end 16a, the rib 17 interconnecting the other end 16c of the protuberance and the half post 12a, the corners of the tray are substantially reinforced and stiffened and thus are highly resistant to warpage or distortion even when the tray is exposed to extreme variations in temperature and humidity for prolonged periods of time.

The peripheral flange 18 delimits the tray and is disposed at substantially mid-height thereof. The section of the flange adjacent the row of half pockets 14 is provided with a pair of indentations or hand holes 20.

The holes facilitate the removal of the tray from an egg.

case, by permitting the fingers of the unpacker to pass therethrough between the flange and the adjacent wall of the egg case.

To permit more ready denesting of the individual trays from a stack of nested trays, a plurality of projections 21 extend outwardly from the posts 11, forming the outermost row of full posts, and upwardly from the peripheral flange 18, see FIG. 2. In addition denesting projections 22 extend outwardly from the outer surface 16e of each protuberance 16. Projections 21 and 22 are preferably of solid molded material and have the outer ends thereof terminating adjacent the outer edge of the flange 18.

As will be noted in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top surfaces of the posts 11 and half posts 12 and the bottom surfaces of the pockets 13 and half pockets 14 are substantially flat thereby providing a stable contact between loaded trays when they are arranged in stacked relation. In stacking loaded trays it is necessary that each successive tray be rotated 90 relative to the other.

Thus, it will be seen that an improved molded tray has been provided which has reinforced corners, is easy 4 to denest, and resists warpage and distortion.

We Claim: 1. A multi-sided molded tray for fragile articles comprising downwardly extending article-accommodating pockets arranged in spaced, substantially parallel rows,

certain of said pockets being comer pockets; upwardly projecting hollow posts arranged between the rows of pockets, certain of said posts being arranged in a first row disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to one side of said tray, and certain other of said posts being arranged in a second row disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to a second side of said tray, said first and second sides of said tray defining a comer, the endmost posts of said first and second rows being adjacent to, but spaced from, said corner; and an upwardly projecting elongated hollow protuberance disposed intermediate said endmost posts and having portions of the protuberance disposed along the first and second sides of said tray, one end of said protuberance being connected to a wall of one of said endmost posts, an inner surface of said protuberance forming an extension of a wall of said corner pocket and an outer surface of said protuberance terminating at an outwardly projecting peripheral flange.

2. The multi-sided molded tray of claim 1 wherein a wall surface of one of the endmost posts at each corner cooperates with the inner surface of an adjacent protuberance to form an extension of the wall of the corner ul lerant 'e.

c aim wherein 

1. A multi-sided molded tray for fragile articles comprising downwardly extending article-accommodating pockets arranged in spaced, substantially parallel rows, certain of said pockets being corner pockets; upwardly projecting hollow posts arranged between the rows of pockets, certain of said posts being arranged in a first row disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to one side of said tray, and certain other of said posts being arranged in a second row disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to a second side of said tray, said first and second sides of said tray defining a corner, the endmost posts of said first and second rows being adjacent to, but spaced from, said corner; and an upwardly projecting elongated hollow protuberance disposed intermediate said endmost posts and having portions of the protuberance disposed along the first and second sides of said tray, one end of said protuberance being connected to a wall of one of said endmost posts, an inner surface of said protuberance forming an extension of a wall of said corner pocket and an outer surface of said protuberance terminating at an outwardly projecting peripheral flange.
 2. The multi-sided molded tray of claim 1 wherein a wall surface of one of the endmost posts at each corner cooperates with the inner surface of an adjacent protuberance to form an extension of the wall of the corner pocket partially delimited by said protuberance.
 3. The multi-sided molded tray of claim 1 wherein the opposite end of each protuberance terminates in an elongated denesting rib which interconnects said protuberance with the second of the endmost post forming the corner. 